Famous American Crimes And Trials

What do Lizzie Borden and O. J. Simpson have in common? Or the Lindbergh baby and Gary Gilmore? They were all the focus of famous crimes and/or trials in the United States. In this five-volume set, historical and contemporary cases that not only "shocked the nation" but that also became a part of the popular and legal culture of our country are discussed in vivid, and sometimes shocking, detail. Each chapter focuses on a different crime or trial, and explores the ways in which each became famous in its own time. The fascinating cast of characters, the outrageous crimes, the involvement of the media, the actions of the police, and the trials that often surprised combine to offer here one of the most comprehensive set of books available on the subject of famous U.S. crimes and trials.

FRANKIE Y. BAILEY is Associate Professor at the State University of New York, Albany. With Steven Chermak, she is co-editor ofMedia Representations of September 11 (Praeger, 2003) and Popular Culture, Crime, and Justice (1998). She is author ofOut of the Woodpile: Black Characters in Crime and Detective Fiction (Greenwood, 1991), which was nominated for the Mystery Writers of America 1992 Edgar Award for Criticism and Biography, andLaw Never Here: A Social History of African American Responses to Issues of Crime and Justice (Praeger, 1999).

STEVEN CHERMAK is Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Affairs in the Department of Criminal Justice at Indiana University. He is the author ofSearching for a Demon: The Media Construction of the Militia Movement (2002) andVictims in the News: Crime and the American News Media (1995).